BPRD: Damnation of the Jesuits
by TaelorTot
Summary: The world is on the brim of death as the war between heaven and hell has begun. The B.P.R.D are chasing after a madman, Abe is dealing with every issue, Liz's love life is unstable and at the center of it all the Notre Dame holds all the answers. Join us
1. Chapter 1

**B.P.R.D: Damnation of the Jesuits**

* * *

Chapter One

Paris, France, February 27th, 0:09 hr

The chilly night air of Paris was not unusual this time of year. Infact, these would be the last few nights of winter for the city and everyone could not wait for the first flower to bloom and the temperature to rise and for Lent to end so they could indulge in the guilty temptations they had given up for Christ. The streets of Paris were empty of automobiles, tourists, and Parisians alike; the night air held a stale sent along with a moonless sky. Her only light was Paris's lit skyline and street lamps. However, she did not need them to find her way. Her blind eyes were led by her lust and before her stood her destination, the cathedral. The Notre Dame.

Its large doors were ajar with a priest standing inward, praying, and watching. She hobbled up the steps until the priest stopped her at the door. Bathed in the cathedral's light, he could see her disfigured features and made a face but her blind eyes could not see his expression. She put her hand up to her eyes, instinctively, as the priest asked, "What is it you beggar woman?"  
"To confess, Father." Said her wispy voice.

"This late of hour?"  
"_Some times,_ _a heart grows weary in the darkest hour_, Father."  
She held out her worn bible wrapped in tattered wool cover. The priest moved aside, "Hurry your task, witch."  
She scurried past him into the candlelit cathedral and from the top floors she could hear the soft music of a harp. The halls were empty and she scurried through the cathedral to the restricted areas high above the sanctuary. She slid silently through the corridors until she finally made it to the top of the bell tower. Out of breathe but set on completing her task and receiving her reward, she crept forward onto the platform. The Galerie des Chimères lay await reward.

They were stone, cold, and lifeless. They faced east, watching the skyline, immobile and silent waiting for their time to perform. She was here to release them. The witch took out her bible and removed the tattered wool covering to reveal the book of the Wicca. She opened it and flipped the delicate pages until she found her spot. Her blind vision became clear as the blank pages before her lit up.

"_Draw the lamb's blood"_

A crystal flask was extracted from underneath her clothing as she popped the cork and drew a sphere around her feet with the many symbols of resurrection. As she finished dabbing the ground her under feet with blood, the blood began to glow eerily. The witch smiled and raised her head up to the sky.

She began to speak a language—a foreign, forgotten language so old that only the elders below the earth remembered it. She spoke quickly and clearly, chanting in a menacing tone as her vocal chords grew tired from speaking but her tasks was not yet over.  
She reached into her pockets and pulled out a bag of colored sand. She sprinkled on the blood and the reaction was artificial light. The witch quickly moved away from the blood symbols as the light grew brighter blinding her again. The wind began to pick up turning into a twister as the witch continued to chant but she could not hear her own voice. Finally the winds died down and the blood dried up. She looked up to see it had started to snow again and she stood alone in darkness. Or so she thought.

The sound of rock grazing against granite alarmed her only for a second before she realized her tasks had been completed. Her weak eyes searched through the darkness for where the movement was coming from and saw them. Against Paris's skyline, two gargoyles were standing on the ledge of the Notre Dame.  
They were as tall as humans, made of stone with gigantic wings, hooves, hands and open holes were a bright yellow light rested for their vision. They only stood staring out at Paris as the witch waited, breathing in excitement. Finally the male gargoyle to her right turned its stiff neck, looking over its shoulder at the witch.  
"Children…" breathed the witch excitedly, "Come down off that ledge. Come to me."  
"You have done your part witch." said the male gargoyle in a dark tone, "Now leave. Disappear from this holy ground before the wrath of our Lord destroys you where you stand."  
The witch's eyes were rounded with shock, "How dare you! Children! I have resurrected you! You do not speak to your mother in such a tone!"

"You are no mother—you are an abomination to this Earth and a disgrace to our Lord. Now leave. You have served your purpose for his destiny. Go and pray for your damned soul."

"Why you bastards! Made of stone from the walls of Gomorrah!" shouted the witch, "Disgraces to the legion of chosen angels! I have resurrected you! You are mine to have! You shall obey me! The Queen Hecate promised me children! She has never lied!"  
"You are just a pawn." Said the male gargoyle, "This is your last chance to leave. Go."

"I shall not leave here! You shall obey me!" said the witch holding up her book. Suddenly the book was struck out of her hand by a blinding white light and incinerated when it touched the ground of the Notre Dame.  
"Ignorant witch! You have upset our Lord! You have interfered with something you cannot understand or undo! The war has started and you have cast the first stone! You will suffer for your ignorance!" shouted the second male gargoyle in a ferocious tone as the skies darkened around him. He began to hover along with his counterpart who turned a 180 to stare at the witch. The witch grew angry and charged at the gargoyles. They quickly moved and she slipped over the ledge and fell to her death. From their view she was only a red speck in the mounds of the snow but the third gargoyle, more rough and grimy in appearance leaned over the ledge to see her and spoke of what they must do, "This world's days are numbered. The Ogdru Jahad will arise from this holy place. We must hurry and summon the legions to defeat this terrible force if we are to save this earth and ourselves. Do not fail us Uriel and Michael."

* * *

**The Lochs, Scotland**

There was a reason the Bureau never formed permanent teams. Wasn't worth the stress. People being impaled on spikes, shot by mystic terrorists, eaten by holomcus, disfigured during rescue missions, torn apart in death chambers, bitten by radioactive offspring, mutation, and countless of unexplainable disappearances…. It was defiantly not worth the stress. With all of this it was no concern how remaining agents in the field had become immune to grief over the often short-lived field careers of their fallen partners.

Few of those remaining (and lucky) could clean out their desk the next day and tell you in the most bland voice that the thought of shooting their own partner in the face after he/she had been turned into a mindless carcass was enough to turn in your badge and file claims for the rest of your life, and it was a damn good idea if you wanted to live to see your wife and kids because you never know when your luck's run out and a Nazi- son of a bitch is aiming dead straight at your heart. So with this bland, emotionless voice they'd have their box of possessions packed walking out the Bureau never to be seen again. And the scarce hand-full of _oldie_ agents (Those with the Bureau longer than four years, by Gomez's standards) had experienced this scene and feeling of desertion numerous times that the scarce hand-full of _oldie_ agents expected and grudgingly accepted their departure with a void inside them ever growing wider by each casualty.

And the void of silent grieving in Elizabeth Sherman's heart was running over the rim. Perhaps it was the circumstances that _he_ died under. Accidental death. _That happened a lot_. The lighting flashed over the lochs of Scotland and the rainfall poured down like salt. Liz stood over Dexter Hewlett's body in the rain. Water ran down her cheeks and she couldn't tell if she was crying. A lifeless body; she could even see in the gloomy shadows of ran clouds that he already was loosing color. The bullet wound in the lower part of his abdomen continued to spurge blood while the visible burn marks oozed. Liz could not get herself to move but could hear in the distance Tony Sandoval's voice.  
"It's all my fault." Liz croaked.

She touched the cufflink on his sleeve then his clammy hand. The world around her was spinning and the image of his distorted stare was now imprinted on her brain.

"All my fault…"

Thunder cracked and she felt the warmth of an aquatic hand resting on her shoulder. Abraham was there, with an umbrella, to comfort her. The tall teal Icthyo Sapien stood behind his colleague bleeding profusely but was there to comfort her.  
"C'mon Liz." He said softening his voice. Her feet were rooted in the ground. Abe could feel her resistance to give up.  
"Liz c'mon." Abe repeated, "The morgue is coming." He saw the silent blinding lights of the foreign ambulance whirling up the mountain path towards the mouth of the cave where the unwounded dragged out the dead.

She would not move. Dexter's distorted expression, even with his eyes closed, made Liz sick knowing this was his last look before he died. She was a monster. An untamable beast. The blood in her finger-tips boiled till they were numb. Her staring stopped when the grey sheet was thrown over him by a paramedic. Liz blinked as they rolled him off out of sight and she fell backward into Abe's arms. She wasn't unconscious but unresponsive to his shouts. He groaned at her disposition and lifted her. Abe carried her to one of the arriving ambulances where Johann Kraus was sitting in his body suit staring impassively. He demonstrated the most human-like sigh Abe had ever heard from the ectoplasmic being when he saw them coming.

"I am glad I did not follow my team into the cave." Kraus mentioned moving out his way as Abe laid Liz down on the stretcher.

"She just had an episode. Can you get her to talk?"  
"Now Abraham you know this better than me—" Kraus said shrilly, "Shock. She is in shock. She will hopefully not burst into flames but I will see what I can do."  
Abe stepped back as Kraus closed the ambulance doors. He was starring back at the sky; only hours ago the sun was out and everyone just knew they were close to victory.

The cult leader, Alhsom Massys, a man the Bureau had been playing cat and mouse with for months, was hiding in the rocky hillsides of the lochs of Scotland.

Dr. Tom Manning, Director of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, had spent so much time and effort with strategists and experts planning the safest route to capturing Massys that they were equally as devastated to see so many accidentally killed. This all happened because Massys planned his malicious escape around fragile Liz. Like the way the Bureau watched Massys every move, the mastermind had shifted his concentration from trying to destroy the world to studying Liz. He then saw her weakness; watching other die. Sixty-three corpses had been found. By now only eighteen were identified as agents, thirty-three were burned to death, twelve died from gunshot and the rest, still unidentified. Abe watched as those with enough strength treated their burns. Soon enough, more ambulances arrived and were being followed by black trucks. The Cleaning Crew stepped out and dispersed into the cave with their equipment ready to make the place look anew.

Abe gritted his teeth and subdued the anger inside when he saw Manning stepping out of one of the black trucks with a lament expression. Now the rain was only a shawl of grey mist. Manning grabbed his umbrella and ran over to Abe baffling with questions that all could be answered with Abe's tragic recollection.

Just as he opened his mouth to speak Horatio Malvec arrived in another black car, his beady eyes hidden behind those stupid black sunshades. He strolled over to Manning and Abe with a vacant expression and asked casually, "What happened?"  
"What do you think dip-shit?" Abe thought to himself.  
"As you two will learn…" Abe said slowly, "Massys set up a gas leak. We ran straight into an oven."  
Manning and Malvec exchanged looks before averting their eyes to the cave.  
"We got deep into the cave, everything was fine, and then his own forces fired. Gun-fire for about fifthteen minutes. Hid behind rocks, boulders, pillars—we never made it to that laboratory you were talking about in the briefing but I doubt you'll find anything now—but as I was saying, Hewlett ran out blocking a shot meant for Liz. Hit him in his groin. I think he died instantly. Liz turned around ready to set the man who shot him on fire—the whole place exploded like a bomb."  
Manning's eyes were lit with shock and anger. Malvec still had a vacant expression but bowed his head in respect.

"I thought I had smelt gas earlier… should have said something…" Abe rambled off and turned away from them. He started walking towards the ledge of the mountain trail and looked over to see the black waters calling his name.  
"Abraham—wait!" Manning yelled.  
"If you need me I'll be by the loch."

With that said he jumped off the mountain trail down the rocky side into the dark waters.

Manning stood speechless with his hand cupped over his mouth as Malvec waited intolerantly for his next directive.  
"I recommend we get this place cleaned up and thoroughly searched for clues before anyone leaves the premises." Malvec uttered in his thick European accent.  
Manning nodded saying a yes silently before strolling back to his car.**  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note**: haha so I decided to comment. My ears itch and I just got off work. BUT! for the love of you I'm posting this right now before I collaspe in my bed and not wake up for another four hours.

* * *

Chapter Two

Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense Gamma Edifice, Germany/Three Days Later… 

Abe Sapien was not asleep. No matter how hard he had tried to sleep he could not. Not even during the short flight from Scotland to Germany did he sleep or feel sleepy and even when he closed his amphibious eyelids he was not sleep nor looked like he was sleeping because his eyeballs were moving rapidly under the thin layer of transparent skin which was creeping out the quiet hostess sitting opposite of him in the car. Abe quickly blinked and abruptly apologized then began to stare out the window.

The scenery was the same like last time Abe had to visit the Gamma building a few months ago with Dr. Kraus; a long winding country road that led into the deepest parts of Germany's natural beauty where a rectangular concrete building stuck out like a sore thumb in the wooded mountain-range surrounded by tall autumn trees. It took forever to get there and since the Bureau preferred to avoid any suspicion from the locals (like rectangular concrete buildings in wooded mountain-ranges doesn't raise curious eyebrows) they had all agents taken by car to the building once they reached Germany. In addition, depending on which city you landed in and what time of the year it was, the car ride could take up to at least two days.

Luckily, or should one say, unluckily, Abe Sapien was in a hurry. He had left the area after the explosion to clear his head in an unfit manner. Abe had not done anything quite unprofessional like that in years but he had felt such a pressure of grief and guilt that only the frigid waters of the Lochs could help him forget. Now he was on his way to the building to discuss the Bureau's next step; not like Manning really needed him to decide what the Bureau was going to do about Massys. He had not heard anything since his departure but he anticipated that Kraus was close on Massys' trail.

"Mr. Sapien…"  
Abe looked up at the hostess who tried smiling but it soon failed.

"We'll be arriving any minute soon."

Abe nodded and continued to stare out at the landscape. Minutes later the car slowed in front of a gate where a German solider stepped out and went to the driver's window to address him. He opened the gate and the driver pulled up to the front. Manning and Malvec were waiting at the front doors. Abe stepped out and greeted Malvec with a gripping handshake. Manning stepped forward and gave him a limp handshake.  
"Forgive me Abraham." Manning apologized, "Haven't been asleep for days… affecting my focus."  
"Same here. The sleeping part."

"We have a lot to talk about." Manning started as the hostess unloaded Abe things and went through the front doors, "First off as you may know, Massys escaped killing seventy-four people, thirty-nine of them—ours—the rest, his own men…"

The three men started speed-walking towards the more secluded part of the building.  
"From what we can tell Massys has collected a large cult of followers who are willing to do anything he says, including suicidal tasks. From the autopsy reports, some of his followers were wearing fire-proof gear, trying to prevent death but the explosion was too huge. We are surprised, by our calculations—neither Liz nor you should have survived the explosion." Malvec said. Abe stopped mid-step to look at Malvec. Malvec looked over his sunshades, his blue eyes cold and piercing.

Horatio Malvec was apart of the International Investigation Squad located solely in Italy. They did the same thing as the Bureau except all their cases were in the Mediterranean and frequently if a case was too big or involved too much paranormal mischief, the B.P.R.D were usually called in. Malvec had been assigned the Massys Project by his superior, a friend of Manning's. Since Massys had started his rampage in Italy, Massys was a big help with the scientist's history.  
"Speaking of Agent Sherman we will need your wisdom in psychiatric episodes." Manning stated.

"Liz…"  
"Yes Agent Sherman had another episode after escaping the cave." Malvec replied.  
"As you witnessed her good friend, Agent Hewlett, took a bullet for her and he died… it is evident she cannot handle death well." Malvec remarked.  
Abe again halted but did not stop long.  
"What's she doing now?"  
"We have her in a room by herself. Kraus and other doctors are monitoring her but she will not talk to us… she'll only address Kraus."

Abe bit his tongue stopping himself from telling Malvec and Manning how stupid they were for locking Liz up like that. Abe had known Liz for a long time and he had seen her before and after she had her episodes. She always went into a state of 'shock' where she wouldn't react but they didn't last longer than a few hours. It was unhealthy for her to be alone even in the care of Kraus.

"Where's Tony?" asked Abe. Tony Sandoval was Liz's boyfriend; he had joined the Bureau over a year ago, a fresh weapons expert.

"Resting," Manning said, "He was in the explosion too. One of the lucky few to survive."

"Do we know where Massys is?" Abe asked. Manning and Malvec exchanged looks of pity.

"No, we don't." Malvec said.  
Abe couldn't help but release a pitiful sigh to match their exchanged looks of pity, "So we're basically back at square one?"

"No Agent Sapien we are at a dead end!" Announced Dr. Kraus walking out of the opening elevator. He had papers in his hands as he stood in place, his body suit expanding like he was actually breathing.

"Well that's even better." Abe replied with satire before throwing a look Malvec's way. Dr. Kraus said something in German before repeating it in English, "What we do know is zat he is not in Scotland anymore."

All three men let out sighs so pitiful that Dr. Kraus walked over and patted Abe on his shoulder.  
"I am working very hard to track Massys. Do not worry Abraham I will not let you down." Dr. Kraus strolled between Malvec and Manning into another corridor.

"He's a good man." Malvec said as Kraus's steps grew distant. Manning walked them over to the elevators, "C'mon let's go see her."  
They took the elevator three floors underground before a disembodied voice announced their arrival. Here the corridors were slimmer and each room had windows where you could look in and see the experiments or specimens the BPRD scientist were studying. Finally they came to a set of large hospital doors with the word 'CAUTION' written in yellow over the front. On the side of the wall a scanner was installed and Manning scanned his palm; the doors swung inward revealing an area like a hospital. Manning nodded at the nurses sitting behind a desk as he turned to the first door on his right.

Opening it, they stood in a dark room where four doctors were staring through a window into a hospital room where Liz rested in a hospital bed and a nurse by her side coloring. The nurse's inaudible mumbles could be heard through the speaker system as Liz stared blankly at the wall.  
"That's not good. I need to go talk to her." Abe said heading for the door inside the room. The doctors glanced at him abruptly but Manning gave them a nod to unlock the door. Abe entered and the nurse squealed at the site of him.

"You can leave now." Ordered Abe. The nurse quickly scurried out of the room and closed the door behind her.  
Liz looked poor in health. Her skin was pasty her hair straw-like and a mess. She wouldn't look directly at Abe but blinked giving him the notion she knew he was present.  
"Liz." Abe said getting down on one knee and holding her hand. Liz turned her head to look down at him but her eyes were so sad and empty.

"Liz. You gotta snap out of this. Wake up. Dexter's gone. There's nothing you can do about it."  
It seemed this didn't compute in Liz's brain as she blinked and began to watch a dust speck in the air.  
"Liz." Abe said shaking her hand gently, "Liz c'mon. I know it hurts. I know you're grieving. We haven't had a lost like this in a long time but you gotta pull yourself together. You didn't lose control—there was a gas leak. Massys planned to frame you but it isn't your fault."  
"I killed Hewlett, Abe." Said Liz's voice.

It began to crack as tears rolled down her face, "I killed Dexter! I killed George! I killed Hanson, and Thomas and Artois and Gavel! I killed our team… they weren't supposed to die."  
"But it's not your fault."  
"It is my fault!" Liz shouted drawing her hand away from Abe, "It's all my fault! I killed our own men! I can't live with the blame! Their all dead!"  
"Liz calm down!" Abe demanded, "It was an accident."  
"It's always an accident and people I care about die!" Liz shouted sobbing loudly, "They always die! I can't control the fire anymore! All that work—in Tibet! I couldn't control it! I'm a hazard!"  
"Liz you're no hazard."  
"Stop lying to me." Liz groaned burying her face in her flat palms, "It's all a lie! I can't control it!"

Abe stood up and hugged his teammate. Never had Liz broke down in front of people before. Not even Abe. He had seen her cry before but not to this extent. He knew… hell, everybody knew about Liz's bipolar affair with her powers—one day they were under control—the next she had set half the building on fire. But stuff like that hadn't happened in over ten years and Liz had reached out for help years ago and they had been under control since even to where Liz could form shapes with the fire and she could pursue normal things outside of the BPRD headquarters and not worry about spontaneous combustion so Abe could understand why this was such a blow to her progress.  
Abe continued to hug her until he heard the door to the hospital room open. He glanced to see Tony entering.

Tony Sandoval was Liz's boyfriend of one year. He was a weapon's expert, hired by Manning after seeing his impressive work with guns and clairvoyant machinery that could even capture ghost. Sandoval was about 6"3 with black hair (a caesar cut that reminded him of george clooney), well-built with hand Spanish features complementing his Caucasian traits. Tony's left arm was wrapped tightly in bandages as he walked with a limp but tried to cover it up. Liz looked up and her crying became heavier as she dashed towards Tony throwing her arms around his neck. Tony caught her bracing himself as the nurses came in scolding him for leaving bed.

Abe watched as Liz held on to Tony tightly, crying and thanking God that he hadn't died in the explosion and how much she cared for him and she was sorry. Tony quietly petted her whispering in her ear and Abe realized something. He was indeed alone in this world again.  
Liz had found somebody to care for her, Roger was dead and Hellboy… they hadn't seen or heard from Hellboy in years. Only Abe and Kraus remained—if you counted Kraus as human—and Abe felt even colder and lonesome.

* * *

"Yes I know how you feel Abraham." Kraus spoke quietly as he and Abe strolled down the halls of the Gamma Building, "Being one of a kind is a lonesome path. No one wants to spend an eternity by themselves but some of us are just lucky like that."  
Then, Kraus attempted to chuckle but it didn't work, "But! We must fully focus on this case. Massys is indeed out of Scotland—I believe he's out of Europe completely."  
"It could take weeks to retrace him if he's left Europe—by the time we catch up he could release a spawn of the Ogdru Jahad and cause serious damage."

"I understand that Abraham." Kraus said shuffling his feet, "This last encounter with Massys was rare. He was a sitting duck. As you know he is very tactful —he recognizes secrecy and hiding places—for us to know he was in that cave before he could move scared him out of his unterkleidung. That opportunity will never be presented again—the next time we meet Massys we must stop him."  
"Exactly." Abe said turning the corner to collide with someone head on.

A woman's arms flared in the air as her paperwork went flying above her head and Abe fell back but caught himself before he hit the ground.  
"Ouch." Abe said rubbing the scorched flesh wound on his ribcage. He looked down to find Kate Corrigan sitting on the ground rubbing her head.  
She quickly found her balance and stood up with the help of Kraus, "Ouch? Watch where you're going Abe."

"Sorry Kate." Abe said as she brushed herself off and bent over to gather her papers.  
"It's okay." Kate said grunting as she rolled her back hearing a loud pop, "I'm okay. It's just… I'm sleepy…and the break room's out of coffee."  
"No more coffee, my goodness!" Kraus said sarcastically.

"Just because _someone_ doesn't need sleep and basic needs doesn't mean I can go without it too." Kate said sticking her tongue out playfully.  
She placed her hand on Abe's shoulder, "heard what happened. This is horrible. Nothing's happened like this in awhile."  
"I know…" Kraus interrupted, "And everything had been planned out so well."

"Where are all the dead right now?" Abe asked.

"In England ready to be shipped over the pond to their families. I'd hate to be Manning right now. He had to call everyone of them too and tell them their sons and husbands are dead and receiving some prestigious award that doesn't mean crap to them." Kate said with her brows arched.  
"You sound angrier than you look Kate." Abe said gently.

Kate glanced up seeing Abe's face. Though her amphibious friend could not make facial expressions, Kate could hear the slight curtness in his voice about the situation.  
"Well… I am." She said breathlessly, "And I'm as excited as any of you about avenging our comrades… this Massys guy… he's the scum of the earth."

"Excuse me Agent Sapien."  
Everyone looked over at the fellow interrupting them.

He was a German solider waiting patiently for their full attention, "Director Manning would like to see you in the briefing room. And he asks that Agent Kraus and Dr. Kate join him as well."  
"We must have a lead." Kate whispered ruffling her papers calmly.  
Abe nodded to the solider thanking him.  
"I'll lead the way." Kraus said.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

* * *

The agents and researchers were pouring into the briefing room waiting for their meeting to start. Leaning against walls with their binders and notepads, only a few noticed the arrival of Abe and Kraus. A few waved; others who weren't used to seeing the aquatic being and ectoplasmic psychic blankly stared unsure whether to be friendly or troubled.  
Their seats had been reserved for them; up close to the front where Abe could see everything. Kate was seated on the opposite side in front of him. She took her seat and glanced down at the conference table. Folders had been preplaced. Manning must mean business. Abe opened his folder to see it neatly organized with three distinct divisions. He pulled out a booklet from the middle one which had the usual _'Top Secret'_ stamp screaming at him in bright red. He flipped through catching a few black and white drawings which he dated by the distinguished skills of drawing he had seen from the Renaissance Era. He placed his folder down and looked about at the faces in the room.

A few seats down there were new faces that Abe had never seen before. The reason he had spotted them was because of their distinct dressing. They weren't Bureau agents. There were four of them, two each side with a fifth empty reserved seat on the left. They wore suits; very nice suits that Abe was sure had a designer name on the tag. There were three men and a woman; they looked Italian except for the woman. Her features were more Czech. They did not talk to anyone else in the room except their group, and from what Abe could catch they made sure their group was excluded from the rest by speaking in Italian. They had to be here with Malvec.

Just as Abe thought to question their presence, Manning and Malvec entered from another door looking grim.

Both were showing signs of tiredness; if they didn't take at least four hours of sleep today they'd start seeing things.

"Good afternoon everyone." Manning tried to say with some vigor but his voice was too tired and strained, "I have called this emergency briefing to discuss our next phase of action."  
While Manning was talking, Malvec took his seat next to his Italian posse. The woman leaned over to whisper in his ear and he smirked, clasping his palms together and leaning back in his chair relaxed.

"It is very important and personal to me to let you all know I do understand that our teams on the Massys project are fatigued and experiencing a level of grief this bureau has not suffered from in a long time. We lost many good men three days ago and their legacies will live on in our hearts. We all know what a job like this calls for… brave, intelligent, fearless men who stare death in the face. It's a hard pill to swallow but it is reality." Manning spoke. A few agents who knew the men who had died bowed their heads in respect.

"At times like these, you realize those people were a big part in your life and you regret not saying something to them or doing something for them. Well let me tell you… grief can be selfish and harmful. I am not telling you to forget them but I am telling you this: There will be more causalities in the line of duty and they may be the men standing next to you or even you. We try our best to stop those killers and deaths but things happen…. Mistakes are made and timing is bad."

Abe felt the wind in his gills being knocked from him. Even though he knew Manning was not referring to Liz's accident, he couldn't help but take offense.  
"Now as your director I must be bureaucratic and blunt as possible but know that I am hurting just like the rest of you. But, we must move forward. You will get the chance to avenge your comrades soon… as soon as we arrest Massys."  
Abe couldn't help but roll his orb-like eyes. He knew how this would turn out if they did catch Massys. A psychotic-cult killer like Massys saw being captured as insult and fear. They'd rather commit suicide then be caught.

"Now that we are all on the same page I would like to update you all on the current events."  
Impulsively every reached for their folders, ready to read along as Manning explained what phase of action they were to take but this time he told everyone to stop.  
"These folders have nothing to do with Massys." Manning announced across the room a bit embarrassed, "We—we have lost the lead on Massys."  
There were a few grunts and smacks of the lip made in the back of the room but that was expected. Men who had just lost their comrades in battle did not want to hear that the enemy was no where to be found.

They wanted blood.

Malvec raised his hand to speak; Abe parted his lips _(his way of frowning)_ at him. This wasn't up for discussion.  
"It sounds to me as if your team's a bit aggravated by the news that your research party does not know the whereabouts of Massys, Dr. Manning." Malvec drawled, "My team has an idea of where Massys may be and we are looking into it now."

Kate was the second to frown upon Malvec's interruption.

Yes, it was true Malvec and the International Investigation Squad were the third party in this investigation along with supporting branches from the British Bureaucracy but there was an agreement for all research parties and other teams to work in unison and share all information; it was unprofessional and egotistic of Malvec to decide to share this information outside of the research department with Kraus.

Abe peered to his right at Kraus to see the ectoplasmic man crossing his body suit arms. Even though he could make no facial expressions, Abe could read body language well.

"Well Malvec could you tell us where you believe he is. Dr. Kraus's team will help you anyway they can." Manning offered.

Malvec nodded pushing those stupid sunshades up his nose bridge, "We believe he has travelled to Croatia to hide for awhile."  
Abe rolled his aquatic eyes and raised his hand to ask a question but Kraus had already beaten him to it.  
"Why would Massys be in Croatia, Malvec? None of the theories we have on him would lead him to Croatia?"  
"But that's the problem. We don't know what the hell he's doing." Kate interrupted shrugging her shoulders, "He could be in Croatia."

Abe placed his hands in his lap to think. Yes was true. They had no idea what Massys could be doing now. He was an unpredictable, mad scientist who had tried killing them all with failed attempts in the past. Now he was just on the run but he had to be up to something.

Their last theory before the explosion in Scotland was that he was running test on human beings attempting to create a large deity-monstrosity. Now, with the lab blown to bits and covered in soot, they couldn't tell squat about what he was doing.  
Gomez shook his head rubbing the burned spot on his scalp, "I don't know it's all too confusing."  
"Perhaps he is raising an army of the dead." Malvec suggested.

Abe, Kate and Kraus had seen their share of undeceased armies resurrected and how much trouble they were to get rid of.  
"We doubt it." Kate and Abe said in unison.

Malvec shot Kate a look then turned to his team. The woman whispered to him quickly in Italian; she was a beautiful woman—the kind you read about in crummy romance novels Liz would curl up to when they were travelling half way across the world. Hellboy teased her about it once and since then, whenever she read one; she used the same book cover to hide the sappy cover which usually had the words _'Love'_ ,_'Behind'_ and _'Forgotten'_. Perhaps she didn't think Abe had noticed or didn't care if he had—as long as she was _"expanding her mind"_ with literature, Abe was content.

Malvec turned back around in his chair and nodded, "My team says it's a possibility and we shouldn't rule it out just because it sounds improbable."  
"He has a point." Kraus added, "Those who are involved in the paranormal often do the improbable."  
Kate shook her head too but Abe wasn't willing to admit Malvec could be right. Malvec could kiss the bottom of his fishy foot.

"You can discuss this later with the rest of our research team. As of now… the Bureau has just been slapped with three individual cases that need or attention desperately." Manning said bringing the focus back on him.

The room lights dimmed as the projector turned on warming up.

Manning began to speak, "We're sending a couple of field agents up north towards the Arctic Circle. It appears some Norwegian angler have spotted a demonic beast flying overhead. Satellites have also picked up a fast moving object heading the same way from Greenland and their speeds are unremarkable."

Satellite maps popped up on the projector.

Manning led his finger from a purple dot to another, "This is the mileage covered in one minute. Six miles."  
Kate raised her eyebrows impressed; Kraus would have done the same if he had any.

Gomez raised his hand, "Is this object the same as the identified one from the Norwegian's account?"  
"Our guess is yes, they are the same."  
"Any theory why they're heading to the Arctic Circle?"  
"No we don't have one." Manning said, "But there is also another issue here as well. It seems there has been a great disturbance in the English Channel. A sea monster has been spotted."  
Abe gave a wheezy sigh glancing over at Kate who wouldn't look up.  
"The bastard's huge and I mean it. Its width and length stretch out far beyond a rough measure and well… this is something…"  
"Hellboy would have handled." Abe asked quietly. Everyone in the room heard him even Manning. It seemed like everyone had sucked in the air in the room as they looked around unsure what to say but Manning chose to ignore the comment, "It's something that our researchers are working on. They believe its Leviathan."  
Abe quickly shot up his hand ready to fire away.

"How do we know these things are paranormal and not just some fast military planes like SR-71 Blackbirds that have been mistaken for demonic creatures? Or that there's a connection between the two and why do you think it's Leviathan?"  
"We can only expect the worse possible situation because that's what we always get. If it is Leviathan we have a solution."  
"And if these demonic creatures are really demonic?" Abe asked.  
Manning didn't answer but glanced at Kraus who was cracking the seal of a his mission statement. Abe peeked at Kraus's folder seeing he had been assigned the Leviathan case.  
Abe opened his own folder searching for his mission statement. It fell out and he opened it to find he had the Levithan one.

"Of course." He sighed closing the folder and looking down.  
"We'll be sending you all out in two hours. We want to get this done now and hurry back because of Massys."  
"And what about the third one?" Kate asked.  
Manning glanced Horatio's men and nodded, "This case, we've given to Mr. Malvec and his team. They will be handling a crisis in the South of France."  
Abe and Kraus looked at each other. Why did Malvec's team get a whole case by themselves?

"As for now we are sending Agent Gomez and three others to the site. Agent Gomez you are team leader."  
"Shazam!" Gomez shouted.

"Now if you all would turn to page 16 in your first section labeled 39569410-BG9-12, I would like to start with…"

* * *

"So they're casting you off to the sea." Liz softly uttered, toying with the charm bracelet on her wrist. Abe watched as the pinky and gold girlish charms slammed together making clinking noises in the silent metal room. One of the many was of a cupcake and a second one… a heart with an L & T intertwined.  
"Yes." Abe said flatly.  
"And Kate's going up north, to the Arttic Circle?"  
"Yes."  
"Do you remember what happened last time we went to the Arctic?"  
"Yes I do."  
"Hellboy was with us last time." Liz said. She was staring forward at the window where they knew the doctors where monitoring her. Even though it looked like a mirror Liz saw through the illusion. She hated being stared at.

"Yes he was."  
"I miss him Abe."  
"We all do."  
"He would've told Malvec and his team to go and suck it." Liz commented.  
She tried to smile at her joke but couldn't muster up enough joy. Her eyes were heavy with sleeping drugs.  
"Perhaps I should let you rest."  
"No. if I go to sleep I wont be awake for awhile" Liz said yawning.  
"They give you those things to help you sleep."  
"It doesn't mean the nightmares will stop." Liz replied, "They just make them worse."

Abe took Liz's hand and stroked lines in them. Abe did not have these lines in his palms and he enjoyed tracing them on people's hands, especially Liz's.  
Liz leaned on her pillows placed on the railing next to her head.  
"Tony says that he wants to cancel me meeting his parents next week." Liz said dryly, "He says I need to recover."  
"Maybe he's right Liz."  
"No." Liz replied, "I feel that he's wanted to cancel this for awhile—he just didn't know how to tell me."

Abe did not want Liz to feel any crappier. Maybe Liz was telling the truth that Tony didn't want her to meet his parents. That only meant more disappointing things were to come in the future for Liz and she did not need anymore disappointment.  
"When the place blew up Abe—it knocked me silly." Liz admitted looking at him with her sad eyes, "I was tumbling in the air—I felt such a strong heat. The only thing I could think of was Tony and how—how he swept me off my feet like that except—there wasn't a murderous explosion."  
"Liz it will be alright."  
Liz turned her head again to stare at the mirror-window, "I want to go to Hewlett's funeral."  
Abe nodded as Liz's eyelids grew heavy. She yawned, fighting back those sleeping pills but they were getting the best of her, "Give a eulogy—he was like a little brother to me—my own little brother… I never told you guys this but I remember him… a scrawny kid with a mess of brown hair… he liked to climb trees and eat bugs…"  
Liz mumbled off into a deep sleep but Abe held on to her hand.

Was Liz's world falling apart like his? Yes… perhaps… maybe…  
he toyed with the charm bracelet on her wrist. These charms were too girly for Liz. Cupcakes and hearts and stars and high heels.

What blasphemy!

But then he saw the one that was shaped like a house. It was yellow with a brown roof, a door, two windows and a flowerbed. On the window saw a small pie and a mat below the front door that was small but readable. It said _'Home Sweet Home"_.

And on the back of this charm was a small message that meant the world to Liz but the opposite to Abe.

"_Whenever you are ready… Let's Buy a House & Get Married"_

* * *

**Author's Notes:** So, its been a long while. After long nights of editing & thinking about where this story is going, i decided to take it in another direction and fix a few things. Chapter 4 & 5 are following soon.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

* * *

Abán, the tiny Christened elf, sighed leaning on his shovel and wiped his sweating forehead with his damp towel before taking deep breathes.

"Father O'Farrell, a good man, a good man—born on the shores of the River Shannon—raised to be a saint! And a saint he was! Godly man—never sinned in my book, oh no m'boy. Ye see son, that's a good man. Fed your poor father ah many ah day when I couldn't find a bit to eat. Bless his soul, Mother of Christ, he's a Christian man, he deserves it."

He continued to dig deeper in the fitting grave which held no body but the tiny Christened elf felt it was his duty.  
"Shame what that water beast did to ye Father O'Farrell. But we be getting ye back soon. Just wait. I found this nice grave in Cobh like ye wanted. We'll get ye back soon I bet my soul on it."  
"Oh why don't you go and be buried next to em' too, Ailill! And why not marry em as well?" snarled the female elf swinging vigorously from a tree branch.

"Kiss my arse Mekda! Ye lousy, stinkin' wretch! Be gone with ye! Ye have no business here!"  
"I'm your wretched wife you ungrateful parasite!"

"Shaddup Mekda —and my name is Abán, after the Saint—ye best remember that!"  
"Shaddup Ailill!"  
"No! Ye shaddup Mekda!"

"Ye think they wouldn't argue in front of the child." Whispered young Durlan, the misfortune offspring of the two quarrelling elves. Abe nodded in agreement, "Do they go on like this all the time?"

"Everyday, every minute, every second—there's never peace in our house." Durlan said with remorse, "Mam says its dad's fault that the other elves have shunned us from society because he serves the human's God and communicates with the humans freely and that he's a blinded follower deserting his own kind—and dad says he can believe in what he wants, he's a free being and no law of the land is gonna tell em who he can worship and that the Elf King can kiss his arse."  
Abe listen, amused, as the young Durlan sighed watching his parents quarrel for another five minutes before Abe interrupted them.  
"I didn't come to solve your marital problems." Said Abe stepped in front of the two foot, gaunt Mekda who was positioned to tackle her husband.

"Ah ye are right mister…" said Abán straightening his collar and tie, "this is not right—this is disrespectful to Father O'Farrell's gravesite."  
"I swear, me and the boy could be starving and all you care about is Mass and that damn Father!"  
"Mind yer tongue Mekda!"  
"Mind yours!" Mekda shouted dipping between Abe's legs, "I have a good mind to leave yer arse like my Mam said to! You're no good for this family! You've abandoned us for a silly saint!"  
"Ouch, Mekda —how can ye say I don't care for this family!"  
"Screw you!"  
"Ok that's enough." Abe said. The two Irish officers accompanying Abe stepped forward shoving Mekda back, "S'cuse me ma'am but we're gonna have to ax you to leave."

Mekda glared up at Abe, "Callin' in these pathetic creatures to do yer biddin'! And that bag of air! Humph! He'd be confrontin' Leviathan by himself if he wasn't so small! You ought to be shame of yourself Ailill—what about the life we had?"  
"Pagan spirits are the creation of the imagination."  
Mekda's face grew purple but she swallowed her insult and grabbed her son, "Silly elf! Why'd I ever love you! You cause me nothin' but hatred and sorrow. We're leaving Durlan! Say goodbye to yer paw!"

"Bye dad." Durlan said sadly as Mekda dragged him into the bush and disappeared from view.  
"Mother of Christ forgive her ignorance." Said Ailill, "She be the love of my life—she was…"  
"We need to get down to business Ailill. The B.P.R.D. was not summoned her to watch you and your wife bicker." Abe said in a matter-of-fact way.  
"Please, call me Abán, Dr. Corrigan. I was christened almost a year ago on the thirteenth of May, feast day for Saint Abán—I'm honored to have his name."  
"You are a peculiar elf." Abe said, "I have never seen a Christian elf."  
"The elves in the bush don't like me but I don't care! I'm a Catholic—the elves in the bush can kiss my arse."  
"Very well then." Abe said, "So what is the story with Father O'Farrell?"

Abán sighed taking his hat off again and placing it over his heart, "Bless em. Gawd bless em. Poor man—poor saint. He was the victim, I swear! There he was Mass Sunday givin' out the Communion when Packie Molony went up to eat the cracker and drink the blood of Jasus. Then Father O'Farrell sneezed and nobody said _'Bless Ye'_ and he just fell over dead."  
"Wait. Repeat that."

"Grasped his chest and fell over dead. Didn't see it comin' cause his heart stopped when he sneezed. Gawd bless em'."

"Maybe you should have said that sooner."

"So the morgue sent his body down the River Shannon to County Cork to be buried on his mother's soil like he asked in his will. The morgue in Ballycotton just so happens to be near the shore and there I am sittin' on top the lighthouse watchin' the docks and boaties and all of a sudden I see these two blazing orbs of fire under the water miles apart then I knew it be him. Then all of a sudden a vacuum of air sucked the life out of me and I went faint. Hours later I awake to the harbor, docks and boaties missing. Nothing but sea and half the lighthouse that he didn't take with him. Leviathan it was. He ate everything. Ain't nuthin' there no more. Nuthin'. And he took the ship that Father O'Farrell's body was being held in."  
"Hmm Leviathan." Abe pondered hearing the approaching footsteps of Johann Kraus and their British marine biologist, Dr. Eugene Knut. They came up the steep hillside with the help of a third Irish officer; Dr. Knut stepping harder in a pile of leaves smirking, "Thought I saw a snake."  
"There are no snakes in Ireland." Said the Irish officer automatically as Abe relaxed leaning on a tree.  
"Do we know anything more about Leviathan, Dr. Kraus?"  
"Hmm. Not much." Kraus said looking around at the nature, "He's just a Biblical sea monster. About 300 miles long in length… lower intestine is one of the seven gateways to hell—"  
"Ah Father O'Farrell's going to hell!" Abán cried shocked.

"It would take centuries. The size of this beast means it rarely digests the things its just eaten." Kraus replied.

"But he could be digestin' Father O'Farrell now! We got to stop em!" Abán shouted in a panic throwing down his shovel.  
"Please Abán calm down." Abe said, "We will get your precious Father O'Farrell back but I doubt that Leviathan appears in the same place twice. We're going to find him to get him back."  
Abán started to cry rubbing his itchy eyes, "Ye wont let em' get digested will ye?"  
"Of course not Abán. We'll get him before Father O'Farrell touches the stomach acid."  
"Kraus!"  
"Well it is true." Kraus said swaying slightly in the wind.

The military radio hooked to Kraus's suit began to static as Garner's voice came through, "Calling Dr. Kraus—calling Dr. Kraus."  
Kraus held the radio in his hands holding the button down, "Yes this is he?"  
"Dr. Kraus we have coordinates of Leviathan. He's exiting the English Channel sir and appears to be heading for the Straight of Gibraltar at an accelerated speed."  
Abe and Kraus looked at each other. Even though Abe could not read the globe dome of Kraus's containment suit, he could sense the impatient uproar inside him when he was bamboozled or the last to know.

"How fast is this yacht Manning has rented for us?" Kraus asked Abe.

Abe nodded thinking, "Pretty fast."

"Then let us go. We have no time to waste. This beast could swallow the Iberian Peninsula if he wants. We must stop him."  
"You have the egg?"  
Kraus turned around to the Irish officer behind him who handed him their secret weapon. It appeared to be a basketball wrapped up tightly in a brown parchment paper with a leather string holding the paper in place. Kraus's suit swayed forward as Abe took it off his hands.

"Wow this is pretty heavy."  
"Do not drop it." Kraus said as Abe rolled his eyes.

* * *

It was always top-notch artillery for ex-navy seal, Stan Dole. He was a middle aged man with a square jaw, large hands and graying hair that he trimmed in a Caesar Cut. His co-workers new him by his voice and the repetitive rhythm in his stride because he had a little limp which he tried to hide around people. They also knew when he was coming down the hallways because the doggy-tag he always wore with his name and contact info clinked against the metal rod sticking out of his chest. It didn't actually stick out the way many would imagine it like a clothes rack or something but it was his sternum and two artificial ribs that were metal and pressed against his skin so you always saw it when he had his shirt opened and that was very often. How he had gotten a metal sternum, he never would say.  
Older agents knew he didn't like to talk about it but this was how he got the job he had now. Some paranormal accident he didn't like to talk about that involved terrorist and dissection. But Dole was a good man to talk to about fishing and guns because that's what he knew best.

He also knew his sea monsters.

As Abe and the rest of his unit strolled down to the docks, they saw the smooth black yacht Manning had rented for them and Dole waiting in the driver's seat. He smiled, his dark eyes hidden behind cop sunshades and waved at Abe. He waved, hearing Kraus make a "tsk, tsk" noise about him holding the egg.

"Aye! I see you all made it out alive!"  
"We just needed to get the whole story from our only living witness." Abe informed, "And from what we know, Leviathan has swallowed a port town and its ships. God only knows what else."  
"Well I've been listening to the radios all day. Every ships been cleared out the Atlantic until we get rid of this thing. And all flights across the pond have been cancelled. No one wants to deal with this thing."  
"Of course they don't—that's why we're here. No one wants to pay off a family so they won't talk about the gigantic sea monster that swallowed daddy." Abe joked as Dole helped him on the ship.

"Don't drop it!" Kraus howled after him.

Dr. Knut and the three Irish officers followed behind them. When everyone was sitting and ready to go, Dole's team members came up from below deck carrying parts of a scuba suit and other meticulous junk. Dole sped off into the sea; Kraus turned around just in time to see Abán waving goodbye frantically.

"So!" Dole shouted over the engine and sea, "Is everyone excited about slaying their first sea monster?"  
Abe suppressed a grin as Kraus made a mediocre sound; they had slayed plenty of sea monsters.

Dole grinned ear to ear, looking back at his crew, "This here is Gerald Grimes and Sean Withers. Two of my best men. They'll be accompanying us on the high seas today. Gerald was an Olympic swimmer."  
The blonde male, who was assembling Dr. Knut's radar, glanced up and smiled at everyone.  
"Sean cooks."

The other fellow rolled his eyes at Dole and stood up putting his hand out, "I also am a student in biochemistry at Brown."  
"Yeah and he cooks."  
This made the Irish officers snicker at Sean; Sean's face grew red with embarrassment and he quickly excused himself to go under deck. Soon, the Irish officers were playing cards, Dole had his radio blaring 80's tunes and Kraus was off daydreaming in his own little world. No one noticed Abe, sitting there with the egg in his arms—the answer to their problems. Abe always took these precious moments when the tension was off and went into his own little world of daydreaming. Usually literature was where his mind was. Poetry, fiction, How-To Books he had skimmed across whenever boredom reached a new level. But right now his mind couldn't go anywhere past this yacht or the object he was holding in his arms.

Abe tore a piece of the parchment off to glance at the thing. The egg wasn't as round as it felt; it had dents in it here and there but the embryo in the middle was a site. It looked like a regular bird embryo but it was just the size of a grown Bald Eagle. A few feathers had just sprouted on the scalp of its head just before its demise but what made it such a spectacular object was the fact that Abe could feel a pulse.  
"Kraus!"  
"Yes I hear you Abe." Kraus said condemningly, "What?"  
"Tell us what this egg thing is." Abe asked. The ship soon grew quiet as Kraus sat up, ready to speak.

Abe was holding the egg in his arms. The parchment wrapping on it was more ancient than time. So were the straps. Both had been blessed by the holy man in Nasser just out of protocol but the egg its self had a long history.  
"It is the stillborn egg of Ziz." Kraus repeated from his photogenic memory of a book he'd read, "Ziz is one of the three beast in Judaism that will be served in the great feast when the world ends to God's chosen people—or so says the Jews_. Aber_ _die Juden sind immer reden_. Still, the beasts were quite real. Leviathan ruled the seven seas; a fearsome sea monster who could swallow whole nations. Behemoth was a knight of Shoel and follower of the house of Fly in Hell—he was never much of a threat to anyone, really. He enjoyed roaming the earth and claiming to be the sun god so tribes could worship him and sacrifice blood. And lastly there is Ziz. He was a gigantic bird whose wingspan could block out the sun and cause Ice Ages."  
"Aye—Clyde come ova here and listen! The man's telling a tale of the monsters!" called one of the Irish officers but he was quickly shushed by Dr. Knut so Kraus could continue.

"Anyway the tale I'm about to tell you comes from one of the Seven Books of Tanknrah—a Hebrew prophet who wrote many stories that were omitted from all bibles for other purposes. Now, these three monsters were powerful but could cancel each other out. Ziz could freeze the seas and kill Leviathan, Leviathan could swallow Behemoth and Behemoth could slay Ziz if he pleased. Kind of like 'Rock, Paper, Scissors'."  
"What happened was that one day; God grew tired of their bickering and killed their counterparts so they could not reproduce. But at the same time Ziz's mate had just laid her eggs when she was struck dead so God planned something malice so he could get rid of them finally.

He sent down his archangel Michael to ask Behemoth was he the greatest creature ever to live. Behemoth beat his chest and said he was but Michael said that Ziz was greater and would one day have children who would rule this land. This upset Behemoth so he found Ziz's nest and poisoned the eggs. When Ziz found them dead he was devastated and spread his wings causing an ice age. Leviathan began to freeze and asked Ziz to stop but he would not listen to him. So Leviathan negotiated that if he swallowed Behemoth that Ziz would have to end the Ice Age. Ziz agreed and Leviathan found Behemoth and began to chase after him. Angered, Behemoth found Ziz and they fought. He killed Ziz then Leviathan swallowed Behemoth. The Ice Aged ended but Leviathan was still frostbitten and went into hibernation."  
Kraus looked around to see everyone wearing an awkward frowns.  
"Well that was a horrible tale!" called one of the Irish officers and they returned to their huddle at the front of the ship.

"So I guess that Ice Age wasn't cold enough for the fishy bastard." Dole inquired.

"I guess so." Kraus said, "But the plan worked and the three were extinct from existence or… so we thought."

"And this is one of the stillborn eggs of Ziz?"  
"The only stillborn egg of Ziz. The others were destroyed by the indigenous people. How this one survived is a true wonder." Kraus replied.

Kraus said it was dead—stillborn, there was no way it was alive. Yet there was a faint pulse and heat coming off the thing that Abe could feel and it gave him goose bumps to think such a creature like this once existed.

"So…" Dr. Knut asked implausibly, "If we're going off of the religious stories of Judaism or Christianity… Leviathan is back to help end the world?"  
Kraus nodded, "That is one reason why he is awake again or…"  
"Well we just don't know." Dole interrupted, then added, "Yea but how many times have we heard this? The world's going to end today—yaddah, yaddah, yaddah."

"Still," Kraus continued, "If the story is true, Leviathan is one unstoppable beast. If he can swallow a whole nation what do you think our puny submarines could do to him if we were to fail? Nothing."  
For a brief second the agents of the B.P.R.D felt a chill come off of the sea and sweep around them. In that moment they realized how dangerous their jobs were and how a crisis like this is thought unfathomable by naïve people and even by them.

And then Abe thought only of himself and the egg he was holding. It would be his choices in those critical moments that would either send Leviathan back into his shell or get Abe and the rest of the world swallowed.

"So…" said Dr. Knut breaking the odd silence, "What's the plan when we find this thing?"  
Dole rose up in his seat to stretch, "Well, when we find Leviathan we're gonna call into headquarters first. Second, Abraham here is gonna get suited up, dive into the water and confront this thing face to face."

Sean and Gerald looked up stunned from the radar at the Icthyo-Sapien. Abe nodded, "Yep—that's Manning's brilliant plan. To get me swallowed and regurgitated."  
Dr. Knut, who was sketching looked up disgusted, "You can't be serious?"  
"Hopefully, Leviathan will not try to eat him." Kraus insisted, "He is to present the egg to the beast and it is to swallow it. If what Professor Bruttenholm wrote is true it should send the beast back into hibernation."  
"Yep… if what he said was true…" Abe repeated.  
Abe had never doubted the wisdom of the late and brilliant Professor Trevor Bruttenholm. When he was alive he was the go to man for the occult. He was a fountain of knowledge—every kind of creature and demon he knew widespread knowledge about. But the professor had been killed by a frog-being; unseen before by Abe or the B.P.R.D. and Hellboy had disappeared to find himself years ago.

Both were distant memories that weren't helpful now. Only the Professor's notes and essays lived on at the Bureau. There was an extensive file kept on him and his findings and explorations; often, they were cited whenever they needed extra insight. Both Liz and Abe owned about 1/3 of his private library—books the Professor had given them as presents. The other 2/3rds were given to Hellboy, locked up in his old room that had went untouched since he left.

But now these notes that the professor had left on Leviathan were the only concrete evidence that he could be defeated. Notes that were about 30 years old. Manning had made copies of them, the brittle pages and yellow paper looked funny printed out with the professor's sloppy handwriting.

Abe listened to Manning in the briefing quote certain passages from the notes as if it were the bible.  
_'Ziz's stillborn egg is a fine example of ancient preservation. Whether it was the indigenous people burying the dead offspring of their god or Ziz himself, we will never know, but we can assume it was left here for a reason.'_

What the Professor had wrote was a simple solution: Get Leviathan to swallow the egg. It seemed like it would work. Why wouldn't it?

Abe shook the egg slightly to see if he could get the embryo to move. It did not and he stopped, placing the egg on the deck underneath his seat. He stretched out to get comfortable, the hot sun making his lips crack. Kraus continued to watch the egg obsessively, afraid as if it might spread wings and fly away.

Abe closed his eyes and allowed his mind to wonder. He would need to get some rest.

* * *

Around nine that night, the radar on the yacht picked up something. Everyone on board was either dozing in the salty cool breeze or playing spades with Irishmen up front.  
Dr. Knut was in charge of the radar. He was a lanky fellow with short brown hair and a proper English accent. He was a part of the British Clairvoyant Force, a troupe that handled paranormal activity in England's borders and Abe had talked to him over the phone on several occasions but never remembered his name.

He was absolutely phenomenal about his work and passionate about marine life so that he was willing to sacrifice his job to go and help save dolphins in Japan. But he didn't get the chance too—this whole Malvec thing had pulled in some of the best from every field and he was nominated to come and help. Now he was dealing with an _'End of the World Crisis'_ and didn't know what to expect.

"Trust me kid we get these all the time." Dole explained sipping some coffee, "Some loony lets a monster loose and we kill it. It's the same with Malvec—once we catch him there will be another running around claiming he has the power of God."

"Oh." Dr. Knut said swallowing spit, "You deal with this everyday?"  
"Everyday of my life." Dole said patting his metal sternum. He burped wiping his mouth with his glove and grinned, "Don't be scared kid! You're in this field too! Haven't you seen stuff?"  
"Just a few things but nothing this big."  
Dole laughed, "Well, what have you seen in this field?"  
"Gigantic squids, angry ghosts, killer piranhas, singing sea lions…, but nothing like this."  
The radar suddenly began to beep as Dr. Knut contemplated his misfortune. He turned to the radar scanner, expecting to see another shark or something pop up but this time it wasn't. it was the real thing. He jumped a mile in the air and let out a shout, "Ag—AG—AGENT ABE! Abe! It's him! IT'S HIM!"  
Abe was lying down on the seats now with a tile over his face. He hadn't fallen asleep yet.

He sat up as Dr. Knut stuttered, "ABE! ABE!"  
"Calm down kid!" Dole shouted pushing Dr. Knut out of the way to look at the scanner. They were coming up on something huge. At first it was just an antenna that covered a good four miles then the tail of the beast began to form. Not before long the whole scanner was colored in with Leviathan and they were even close to his stomach.  
"Report to Headquarters right now and tell them we've found him!" Dole ordered as Abe scrambled back to the egg tucked under the seats.

Kraus stood up and wobbled in the breeze. He walked over slowly to the scanner and took a look.  
"Máthair Naofa de Críost." Kraus gasped.  
Dole ordered Gerald to put the pedal to the medal as they raced to get to the head of the beast. Abe was shouting orders for the Irishmen to stay put and help Dr. Knut regain his composure. Dole began to prepare for their battle and looked through the glove box for his gun.

As they continued to speed towards the head, Sean ran over to Abe.  
"Captain Dole wants you to get dressed right now." He said, "The diving suit is below deck."  
"I don't need a suit." Abe said crankily, "I can breathe under water just fine."  
"Well…" Sean said, his hands tied, "I—Well… the captain—"

"I know Dole and I know me. I don't need a suit. What I will need though is sturdy backpack of some kind that'll move with me in that water. I cant hold that egg under my arm the whole time."  
Sean nodded and went under deck to find Abe some swim gear. Abe stood in the middle of the pandemonium watching Dole and Gerald drive as the Irish officers held on to the railing trying to get a peek of the monster. Dr. Knut was frantic at the radar as they grew closer to the monster's head.

Soon, they swerved to the left in the ship, throwing the Irishmen to the floor; a scale the size of an ice berg was moving in the water. Dole put some distance between him and the beast; Leviathan was moving again.

His slimy back was a dark purple and green in the dim moonlight. Dole had all the lights on around the boat so they could see him but what was more terrifying than actually seeing him was his silhouette in the moon as he moved. And the sound of the massive splashes he made when he submerged.  
Leviathan was like a gigantic snake moving side to side and up and down. Apparently he was dipping in and out of the water, perhaps just to see the sky or playing with his enemy.

Slowly, Dole started gaining on him and finally the beast stopped swimming and seemed to be still in the water.

Dole slowed down the ship to see how the beast was doing. They were parallel with him; exactly 200 yards away so the waves he was making wouldn't tip them over. Leviathan was still as crocodile on the Nile. All they could see were the humps of his back and scales. As Dole got closer, the Irishmen could see hundreds of fish, algae and sea creatures stuck to his back.

One of the officers aimed his flashlight out at the beast; an ancient spear had been plunged into the beast's side and stuck out. This, for some reason caused them to shout in fear.

"Shut up you three!" Dole shouted and pointed to the door that led under deck, "Get you a shot of whiskey and stay down there! We don't need anymore distractions."  
The officers followed Dole's orders and stuck together like the Three Stooges. Dole rolled his eyes and looked over at Dr. Knut whose face was a new shade of white.  
"How far are we from his head?"  
"1000 yards." Dr. Knut whispered.

"Ok."  
"…I think that's his head…"

Dole nodded and ordered Dr. Knut to join the officers. Once he was below, Dole shook his head and addressed Kraus, "These softy men! We always get a few! Don't we? They cant handle the sight blood let alone a sea monster."  
Kraus was still standing at the front of the ship, holding on the railing. He had not spoken since they found Leviathan and he didn't think he could.

Abe was sitting Indian Style on the deck, holding the egg between his legs. He hadn't spoke either. Whenever they were immersed in chaos, Kraus and Abe had learned that silence was the best answer. While the Irishmen and Dr. Knut were freaking out, they had found a place to think and listen.

Dole was overjoyed with the silence on deck; he tried to smile at Gerald but he could see the young man too was freaking out.

"You cant go drink. You have to steer clear of this thing when the action starts." Dole ordered, "Now where's Sean?"

* * *

Abe took his time to suit up for this mission. He had brought his belt; the one that held his gun and his tracer. Sean had brought him a simple black backpack that would hold the egg in place while Abe swam and a heavy duty flashlight that would help him see better in the dark. Abe looked up at the moon hoping it would help too.

This was one of the dangerous factors about this mission. Swimming in the dark. The place was probably swarming with sharks but he had to take a chance. They couldn't let Leviathan move in the Strait or anywhere near land again. The results would be catastrophic.

Kraus was thinking the same thing and had already ordered that all specialty lights were attached to the yacht.

He had also ordered backup.

"The helicopters will be here in an hour." Kraus announced, "I don't want anything bad to happen."  
"But what if the helicopters scare Leviathan off?"  
Before Abe could get that out, they felt the boat rock violently. Leviathan was submerging underwater at an accelerated rate. They all went to their knees, afraid to be knocked overboard; finally when the waves stopped, they stood up.

Dole looked at Abe and turned on his tracer for him, "He says 'Catch me if you can.'"

Abe didn't reply. He looked over at Kraus one more time and at the boat. His red tracer was blinking and he saw that a small blue dot was flashing on the radar screen just for him.

"He's still submerging." Dole commented, "I wonder why."  
"When the helicopters get here I want you guys to get as far away from here as possible. If Leviathan does get angry he'll attack anything on the water but maybe not in the sky."

Kraus and Dole nodded as Abe took the egg and placed it gently in the backpack. He zipped it up and tied some rope from the latches to the flashlight. Dole checked it for resistance and gave Abe a thumbs' up.

"One more thing sir." Sean called from the deck. He threw Abe an earpiece, "You'll be able to talk to us and we'll be able to communicate with you and we will hear everything that goes on. If there's any trouble, you know how to use your tracer."  
"Of course." Abe said placing the ear piece uncomfortably in his canal.  
Before they could speak again, he dived off the side into the cold waters of the Atlantic. The instant rush of adrenaline kicked in once the cool salty water hit his gills and eyes. Abe hadn't been swimming in such conditions in a long time but his body temperature soon dropped so he could become comfortable. He swam in one spot for some time, adjusting his ears and eyes underwater. Once he was able to see clearly, he began his descend into the watery depths.

* * *

Abe had forgotten how well his eyesight was underwater without much light. Once he reached a new level of deepness, he could no longer see the moon or the bright artificial lights of the boat. He glanced up, keeping track of where he come from.

The yacht now was just a speck of yellow miles above him. He soon reached for the flashlight and turned it on. He turned it on the dark depths beneath; the beam barely penetrated 20 feet in front of him.

Abe looked around, listening for any sign of life. There were of course rocks, reefs and craters everywhere, and sea creatures that lived and fed off plankton. Abe had spotted no schools of fish yet or even a single guppy.

"This is Abe to Yacht One… Abe to Yacht One. I don't know if you can understand me clearly enough but there's not a single organism swimming freely. I have yet to spot one shark or octopus..."

Abe heard a snicker, perhaps from Sean or Gerald. Abe felt for a moment quite stupid for chronicling his findings. But he knew this was valuable information. Did the sea creatures scurry at the sight of such a large beast? Abe continued swimming deeper and the deeper it got, the darker it got.

After about four hours, he was sure he had reached a new level of darkness. He knew well he was too deep. The water pressure had changed and he was fighting harder to maintain a heavy breathing rhythm. Abe had been deep before but not this deep.

The flashlight was becoming useless now. It was as if the darkness was a engulfing everything around him. Abe turned the beam off and tied it back to his backpack; he took out his knife and adjusted his eyes to the new level of darkness.

Mankind didn't know what kind of creatures lurked in the darkest part of the oceans. Neither did Abe. He touched his ear canal to make sure the earpiece was still there.  
"Kraus, Dole…" he spoke softly, "I don't know if you can hear me—"

"Agent Sapien this is Kraus." Kraus spoke, "We can hear you and we know you are exactly close to 50,000 feet underwater. You've entered a rift of some sort… and there is trouble… we have lost the beast."  
Abe let out a sigh.  
"Yes I know. He has escaped our radar. But he has not swam away… he has just swam further down. You are close to the checkpoint where he disappeared so… I am assuming—"

"He's in this rift… hiding in a crater?"  
Kraus didn't speak.  
"That's one large crater then."  
Kraus waited for Abe to speak again but he didn't, "Well—if we lose connection with you once you find this crater Abe, just know you will have exactly 1 hour before Dole calls in a submarine."  
"Thanks Kraus." Abe replied before swimming further down. As he did, he began to feel around for anything in front of him. His senses were high as the water grew even colder. Abe had to concentrate now to keep himself from turning back. But where was back?  
Before he knew it, Abe couldn't tell his up from down or his left from right. He was just swimming in darkness.

"Kraus… Kraus..." he called. Abe began to hear static in his earpiece as Kraus's voice tried to penetrate but would not.  
"Kraus I cannot see. There is no way… perhaps if I wait…" Abe mumbled, "If I wait for morning I will see…Kraus… KRAUS!"  
The static became unbearable and Abe turned his earpiece off. He began to listen to the water. It was still, he couldn't hear the waves from the surface nor a guppy swimming about. The only thing he could hear was water turbulence from beneath his fins. Abe dived further as if called by the movement. Moments later, he felt a heartbeat from within.

On his back, the egg had remained strapped tightly, enduring the beating waves and pressure of the sea, immobile and dead. Now the stillborn egg of Ziz was moving. Abe couldn't believe what he was feeling. The heartbeat was weak at first and then, as he dived deeper, it grew stronger.

Abe finally stopped as the heartbeat became erratic. He removed the backpack and felt around for straps. Light was seeping from the cracks of the backpack. Light that wasn't his flashlight.

The egg was a light, no—a beacon of fire. Abe felt such heat now from the egg as the heartbeat pounded the water like a drum. All around him he heard it as the egg's light grew brighter. Now Abe could see a few feet in front of him.

The reefs and rocks that were this deep were glistening black like the black sand beaches in Hawaii. There was small peculiar starfish and creatures stuck to these rocks with pallid opaque appearances. All around him, microscopic creatures floated around in bunches, perhaps attracted to this light they've never seen.

The light grew in radius and now Abe could see below him. In the corner of his eye, he saw a colossal sallow tentacle withdraw from around a crater as if swallowed by the gloomy depths.  
"Was that a giant squid!" Abe questioned, slightly panicked by such a thought.

Abe had never been spooked before by sea life but he'd never fought a giant squid before and he knew what kind of ferocious beasts they were when their territory was threatened. He stared at the spot where the tentacle disappeared, waiting in suspense for it to attack.

Instead of seeing the graceful creature coming towards him, Abe heard a disruptive noise that shook his whole being.

"Was that a burp?"  
Courageously, Abe swam towards the area where he heard the noise but then stopped as the fetus in the egg began to move. The undeveloped wings of the stillborn Ziz began to shift, trying to escape its shell. Abe looked on worried, unsure what to do?  
They couldn't have two legendary beasts terrorizing the planet! Abe hugged the egg with both arms, as if it would stop the creature from escaping.

"Please don't get out…" he mumbled, "Don't get out… you're my only light."  
_"Who dares disturb me?"_

A voice unlike any Abe had ever heard made the sea quake in fear. The reef and coral shook, the opaque sea creatures scurried as two parallel orbs of fire lit up spontaneously, in the dark where Abe was heading. The orbs grew larger, almost the size of several wildfires.

The water grew warmer as the egg became still age, extinguishing its light. Only the orbs lit Abe's way as the ocean shook again.  
_"Who's there? Is it you Behemoth? You Ziz? I am tired… leave me be…"_

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Reviews Appreciated. I will return, soon.


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